The success of Jürgen Klinsmann's side made the temporary pain for Major League Soccer worthwhile.

By Kyle McCarthy

Jul 29, 2013 11:15:00 AM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A glimpse at the spine of Klinsmann's starting
XI for the 1-0 victory over Panama on Sunday reveals the pervasive
influence of the domestic league on the American march to Gold Cup
glory. Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando accepted the
responsibilities between the sticks. San Jose's Clarence Goodson
and Sporting Kansas City's Matt Besler comprised the central
defensive pairing. RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman kept things moving
in the center of the park. Los Angeles forward Landon Donovan
partnered Seattle's Eddie Johnson up front.

Their contributions – plus the work of joint top scorer Chris
Wondolowski, among others – to the American cause justify their
absences over the past few weeks (or past few days, in truth, for
Besler and late substitute Omar Gonzalez). It is no small feat for
MLS to manage without its stars, but the FIFA-mandated sacrifice
provided ample benefit for the league on the whole.

As peculiar as it may appear given the increasing standard of the
league over the past few years (though subsequent expansion might
imperil those strides), MLS still faces a significant task to
persuade a skeptic public of its merits given the variety of
available alternatives. MLS isn't one of the world's best leagues,
nor will it join those ranks any time in the near future. But it
offers its fair share of entertainment (more on the compelling late
drama of this weekend later in the column) and quality and warrants
considerably more respect than it generally garners.

For better or worse, the primary gains on that front are often made
through the events on the international stage. It is not
necessarily a correlative relationship (a Gold Cup triumph does not
result in X amount of benefits), but it is one that burnishes the
league's reputation nonetheless. The same people who won't bother
to examine why Colorado is in the midst of a six-match unbeaten
streak may take notice when Gold Cup standout Gabriel Torres opts
to sign for the Rapids. Others may reassesses their thoughts on the
value of MLS when the Americans run rampant through the competition
with a clutch of domestic players within the ranks.

At this stage of its development, MLS gains credibility through its
external associations. It is why the All-Star Game – and the
corresponding opportunity to emerge triumphant against a major
European club, even if the opponent is mired in the middle of
preseason – always holds significance for the league. It is why the
successes of several players for their native countries both in the
Gold Cup and in World Cup qualifying receive lavish praise. It is
why the title gained by Klinsmann and his players warrants such
significant weight.

MLS may not always rely on the prosperity of its players in other
events to bolster its image or reinforce its credentials. It does
for the moment, however. And even if those gains are marginal at
best, they still constitute a worthwhile exchange for the temporal
setback of losing those players for a handful of league matches.